Core A is essential to the success of the SPORE and provides oversight and support of all SPORE projects and activities;ensures compliance with all general, governmental, and National Cancer Institute (NCI)/National Institutes of Health (NIH) regulations and requirements;coordinates communications and consultations with the NCI project officer and other NCI staff in preparing all required reports and publications;coordinates all SPORE-related meetings and communications of the Executive Committee, Internal and External Advisory Boards, the Biostatistics and Data Management Core (Core B), and the Tissue Procurement, Pathology and Biomarker Core (Core C);and other key functions. Over the previous grant period, Core A oversaw the annual budget/rebudget development, distribution, and oversight of grant funds;supported the Executive Committee and advisory boards in scheduling and coordinating regularly scheduled meetings and ad hoc consultations;coordinated the annual solicitation, review, and award process for the Career Development and the Developmental Research Programs;served as the primary liaison in developing potential InterSPORE collaborations and with the NCI SPORE program representatives; and interacted on a regular basis with Core Directors and Project Leaders to review progress, identify problems, and resolve issues hampering successful achievement of their aims. The past trial activation and accrual record of this HN SPORE was the appropriate target of criticism in our previous review;thus, the SPORE leadership team has implemented several mechanisms to enhance the oversight, and thus activation and accrual, of our SPORE clinical trials, including 1) quarterly accrual report submissions to the Executive Committee (and more frequently should concerns arise);quarterly presentations by the Pis of the SPORE trials to the Executive Committee on accrual progress;annual review of all trials by the Internal and External Advisory Boards;and a requirement to address accrual deficiencies within six-months or risk study closure or replacement. Major SPORE and Core A leadership changes occurred in the fall of 2006, when Dr. Scott M. Lippman succeeded Dr. Waun Ki Hong as SPORE PI and Core A Director and Dr. Rakesh Kumar succeeded Dr. Reuben Lotan as a SPORE Co-Pi and Core A Co-Director (sharing these roles with Dr. Gary L. dayman, who continues a Co-Pi and Co-Director from the previous grant period). The experienced leadership of the HN SPORE will ensure full compliance with all policies and procedures required of NCIand NIH-funded research programs to successfully achieve the SPORE's overall aims.